When Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were stopped on their way to Sambhal on the Delhi-UP border on Wednesday, it was not the first time that the Uttar Pradesh police stopped opposition leaders from resorting to violence. Hit or stress areas in the state.
On Monday, a fact-finding team of Uttar Pradesh Congress leaders was stopped by the police outside their party office in Lucknow while they were on their way to Sambhal.
Last Saturday, three Samajwadi Party (SP) MPs, including Sambhal MP Zia-ur-Rehman Barak, were barred from entering Sambhal town as the district administration banned the entry of outsiders till December 10 to “maintain peace and order.” “.
Examples from the past
In July 2019, after the firing of tribals in Sonbhadra, Priyanka visited the families of the victims. However, while on the way, he was detained at Chunar Guest House in Mirzapur. A month later, she met the victim’s family and promised to stand by them until they get back the land where the clash took place. Violence broke out in Sonbhadra after a land dispute.
Rahul and Priyanka were also arrested in October 2020 after the Hathras gang rape. Their cavalcade was intercepted by the UP Police on Yamuna Expressway in Greater Noida on its way to Hathras. They continued on foot but were arrested and released after an hour.
The siblings were arrested again in October 2021 while on their way to meet the relatives of four farmers who lost their lives in Lakhimpur Kheri. Ashish Mishra, son of the then Union Minister Ajay Mishra, was arrested on charges of Lakhimpur Kheri violence.
However, Rahul and Priyanka were detained and managed to reach Lakhimpur Kheri late at night after a high voltage drama was witnessed.
The then Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, both Congress leaders, were also prevented from reaching Lakhimpur Kheri.
In these incidents, the police cited Section 144 – which prohibits gathering of four or more people in a particular area in case of “potential danger” or “nuisance”.
At the same time, SP president Akhilesh Yadav was also detained by Lucknow police to prevent him from going to Lakhimpur Kheri after the incident. A heavy police force was deployed outside the SP chief’s house to prevent him from leaving the area.
How did the opposition react?
After Rahul was stopped by the police at the Ghazipur border on Wednesday, he insisted that it was “his right” to visit Sambhal. With a copy of the constitution in hand, he said, “I am ready to go alone with the police, but I was not allowed.”
The UP Congress alleged that the BJP government in the state “has made a habit of preventing opposition leaders from meeting the victims due to the failure of the government”.
UP Congress general secretary Anil Yadav alleged that the state government has blocked the leaders because it wants to “hide what happened in Samar”. “They did the same in Lakhimpur Kheri when Priyanka ji was detained for 20 hours. When she finally got there, she was told that it was the BJP behind the violence. It should be the same in Sambhal. This has become the modus operandi of the BJP government in UP. It is unprecedented, and It does not happen anywhere in a democratic setup,” he alleged.
SP national spokesperson Abdul Hafiz Gandhi also alleged that the UP government has made a “policy” to prevent opposition leaders from visiting places after such incidents. “This goes against democratic principles where the opposition plays an important role. It has been some time since the violence broke out in Sambhal and now the situation seems normal. So why are the opposition leaders being stopped?” he asked.
The BJP has dismissed these allegations.
“The local administration has taken steps to maintain peace and security in sensitive places like Sambhal. It has nothing to do with the government. If the politicians go to Sambhal, there is a possibility of tension, that is why it has been stopped. In a few days, such restrictions will be lifted and then Akhilesh Yadav and Rahul Gandhi can tour Sambhal,” said BJP spokesperson Rakesh Tripathi.
He added: “We have seen that the speech of Samajwadi Party MP Zia-ur-Rehman Barak has affected the peace and tranquility of Sambhal. That is why the local administration is alert.”
There was unrest in Sambhal on November 24 after a court ordered a survey of the city’s Mughal-era mosque. Four people died in the violence.